Look Over Your Shoulder!

While working on a photo series of a historic cemetery I recently learned off in newspaper article, I was reminded to amend and update a long standing mantra. For years I have advised photographers to reassess their viewfinder composition before turning and walking away with a feeling of satisfaction and accomplishment over the images they had just captured. Since most of us tend to shot horizontals, I urged photographers to find a vertical composition in their scene.  Besides, I explained, verticals usually command higher usage fees as full page reproductions and covers.

Last Friday morning, I arrived in the predawn darkness at a location I had scouted the week before. I was absolutely thrilled with the thick fog and the element of eerie mysteriousness it would add to my images.  As I awaited the rising sun to silhouette the tombstones and ancient oak trees draped in spanish moss, I happened to look over my shoulder down road I had driven in on. "Whoa!" I thought as I re-positioned the tripod to photograph the scene.  Lesson learned, look over your shoulder!

 

Foggy Road